ODIED AT SEVENO 




Elegia Horologium* 



JHK jSPECTF^AL pLOCK. 



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Copyright 1882, by Mrs. A. E. C. Baldwin 

All Rights R< served. ^ '< 



Elegia Horologium. 




1. Chop, chop, chop, with the woodman's axe, 
And the trees fell, one and two ; 

The logs were scored by the measure through, 
And fitted together as though 'twas for the cot 
Oh, roof-tree, strong and true ! [they grew, 

2. Under its shelter the mother lies 
With the babe on her bosom fair ; 

She "cuddles it doun," with her own warm breath, 
And the tiny pulse keeps tick, a-tick, tick, 
While the cabin clock strikes — One ! 

3. She starts to hear the familiar sound, 
It comes with the fitness rare, 

Of a life just begun — 

Of her baby son, 

Of his day of life to wear. 

4. And she thinks: 

Shall his spring of life go on. 
Till run down the weight will be ? 
It must not break — 
This is a care for me. 

5. In his father's arms he looks on the fields, 
And claps his hands with glee ; 

For the stately corn bows, 
The bearded wheat waves, 
They both wave merrily. 

C And away he goes for the mourning doves, 
As they pick the kernels clear. 
And the squirrel he sees 
In the fragrant breeze, 
But the chipmunk is swifter than he. 

Come, come, 

Blithesome child, 

While the clock strikes — Two ! 

And rest on thy father s knee, 

For soon he'll be parted from you. 

§. The barns were filled 
With the yellow grain, 
On every side saw he ; 
But where they'd store the coming crop, 
He wondered thoughtfully. 



Copyright 1*82. 



Elegia Horologzum. 




9. "Mother, I'll ask them," 
Said the lad, 

"It may be they'll need me." 

And up and down through all the roads, 

He met the same reply: 

10. ' ' When barns and barracks are all full, 
The tow-path 

We will try. 

Food must go on to hungry mouths ; 
We'll try it by-and-by." 

11. " May I go for you?" said the boy; 
"To take our grain," said they ; 

To bring our gold, 

To keep it safe from harm?" 

"I know that I can try." 

12. " The foot-path is a lonely road — 
Humans might close the way." 

' ' Once let me take it, 

And I know 

That I can win the day. 

13. "Can guard your gold, 
Can fill your sacks 
With anything you say." 
Oh, boatman, 

Brave and gay ! 

14. The old horse gave a steady pull, 
And floated one load on ; 

The placid water bore it up 
As the boat sped its way, 
No rough waves to delay. 

1 5. The quiet voyage over, 

No seaman e'er more proud 

Of the worn craft he'd piloted, 

Than that boatman praised aloud, 

For gold he brought and stores for many days. 

16. The old horse learned to love him well, 
As he trudged with footsteps calm, 
And the vessel creaked 

And again it groaned, 

With its ' ' How-do-you-do ?" salam. 



Copyright 1882. 



Elegia Horologium. 




A*i. He went and came industriously, 
And brought them into port 
The last time from the sea ; 
While he gave a long look over them, 
The canal-boat clock struck — Three! 

18. The tallow-dip had done its work, 
Some learning now had he ; 

The school-house needed him so kind, 

To teach the a, b, c, 

To train the youthful mind. 

19. He taught them all 
To spell their toys, 

To read their language through ; 
They studied what he'd learned himself, 
And what they all should know. 

20. He studied more himself 

Till the fellowship took their degree ; 
And then he found 

That with the knowledge he had gained, 
He bad learned a lover to be. 

21. 'Twas on this wise, thought she — 
<l He is brave, he is good — 

Has learning too, has he ; 
The lesson here I learn, is this, 
So plain to see. 

22. " He is brave, 

He will be brave for me ; 
He is good, 

He will be good to me— 

Good and brave, this is his degree." 

23. Then her heart fluttered pit-pit, pat, 
One, two — one, two, three. 
James Abram smiled, 

And the school clock struck once more, 
One — two — three — Four. 

24. Oh, the sword was drawn ! 
And the strife grew wild, 

" We must all take sides," said he ; 

" I know I must go where a deadly blow 

Would bereave you, dearest, of me. 



Copyright 1882. 



Elegia Horologium. 




25. But I shall not die — 
Only throw off mortality ; 
In the ranks of the living 
I shall ever be nigh, 
Watching and waiting for thee.'' 

26. They survey him with pride, 
For his musket is clean, 
The bayonet shiny and new ; 
His sword is tried steel — 

No enemy toward him could go. 

fB7. For "halt," is the word, 
"Keturn," he would hear ; 
"You are wrong 
On this path, 

You no further draw near." 

28. But see ! for the fray 

Your back is unshielded,- we know. 

Can that be the way 

For a warrior 

Like you are, to go ? 

29. His laughter rung out 
On the still evening air ; 

' ' My company on their backs 

Their armor wear? 

They never, never try it!" 

3©. Now on the rugged mountain 
The sodden valley hot, 
Where'er the standard floated, 
The soldier sought the spot, 
Within the skirmish sharp. 

31. The General in the service 
Saw the tide of battle turn; 

Saw the serried troops dissolving — 

As they were mustered out , 

Heard their comrades raise the shout, 

32. The regiment gives the parting — 
Muskets rattle the winding shot. 
The drum rolls out the quickstep, 
As the soldiers home arrive 

And the great bell mutters — Five. 



Copyright 1882. 



Elegia Horologium. 




33. "The hours of time are fleeting, 
And I have much to say ; 

The butternut gray 

And boys in blue 

Must hear it all some day. 

34. " Waste places all shall be repaired, 
The crooked straight be made — 
The hopeless find their misery gone, 
Our joyful tributes paid ; 

For every one has shared. " 

35. The hall-doors fling wide open 
To receive the veteran. 

Your labor has been heavy ; 
Your rest comes sure — 
'Tis won. 

36- Now tell us, tell us, brave man, 
What we should ever do — 
Do in the present moment, 
Whate'er the future may bestow ; 
Your speech has silvern flow. 

37. No need to clear his vision, 
For his eye hath kept the while 
Upon the good and gracious, 
And turned away from guile — 
So free from guile. 

38. "Oh, the treasures for the people," 
The clarion voice implies, 

" When domains devastated 

In newness shall arise, 

Let your voices cleave the skies. 

39. "Where one blade of grass has flourished, 
We'll make it two and more ; 

On each hand we shall prosper 

In all the regions o'er — 

It may be better than before. 

40. " Oh, the hours are full of meaning, 
Let us do whate'er we may 

To hasten on the coming 
Of a glorious, peaceful sway; 
More free from passions play." 



Copyright 188'2. 



Elegia Horologium, 




41. The leader pauses for a while — 
The past is fixed. 

To-morrow dawns with brighter ray. 
The toilers' time for rest has come, 
The dial points to — Six. 

42. Beneath the dome 

Of the people's throne 
He bowed his head to serve, 
And filled the chair of state ; 
No mind had he to swerve. 

43. The trumpeters from far and near — 
From north, south, 

East, and west — 

Proclaim the name 

Now chosen from the rest. 

44. A chief in war, a chief in peace, 
And the old words true we heed ; 
The one who chief would be, 
Must freely serve, 

Where'er the suffering lead. 

45. Oh, mother, happy in your son ! 
Oh, people, proud and free ! 

The path of glory downwards points 
Earth's laurels dried will be, 
As leaves dropped from the tree. 

46. The day will soon be gone ; 
The hours grow short, 
The twilight's come — 

We cannot lay the burdens down 
Until the race is run. 

47. Oh, chieftain, take the armor down ! 
The cuirass will fit thee ; 

In war, the foe before thy face, 
Now, now, he turned may be — 
"Ah! who would injure me ?" 

48. Oh the stifled air, 

And the swelling prayer, 

That the dregs away may pass ; 

But the bitter draught more bitter grows, 

As we drain the vial at last. 



Copyright 1882. 



Elegia Horologium. 




49. Meek sufferer on the couch of pain, 
By thy heroic head 

Thy loved ones vigils keep, 
And sorrowing weep, 
Lest thou art dead. 

50. On the wings of wind they bear thee 
• To the house beside the sea. 

Oh, sea ! breathe on the dwelling ; 
May our slain rise 
From suffering free. 

51. The salt air bathes his forehead. 
The seabirds droop their pinions 
And utter plaintive cries 

In the gloom which overspreads him, 
And soon will close his eyes. 

52- The ocean surged upon the shore, 
The waves washed up the sand, 
And breezes wafted back the sound — 
The slain are in My hand, 
And shall be evermore. 

53. We're treading to the echoless shore, 
Are treading one by one ; 

Many will go behind the mists ; 

Before the set of sun, 

The course for them be done. 

54. His pale face breathes the vesper air, 
To reach which he had striven ; 

When his spring of life was rudely struck, 

His spring of life was riven, 

And the clock stands still at — Seven! 

55. O dear ones bereft, 
We all sit in the dust 
With our own warm breath, 
And "cuddle him doun " 
With thee, with thee ! 



Copyright 1382. 



